Ye wei = a recent Chinese fad where exotic items are consumed with no regard for their rare, precious quality or the detrimental effect on the environment.

Sunday, January 28, 2007

Randy Newman's state of the union

Forget about the lame duck who can't even get the support of his own party- Randy Newman has his own state of the union address. Last year in an interview/performance as part of the New Yorker Festival, Newman previewed a song from his upcoming album. He worried that although he wasn't a hawk, he didn't want to come across with the usual bleeding heart sentiments, even if he agreed with such ideas in principle. Newman is the kind of guy who sees wrenching difficult issues and looks deep at the ugly root of it- think of his 1974 album about racists (Good Old Boys)or his numerous songs where he gets in the mind of murderers (no wonder he's such an Eminem fan).

It's no different for the Iraq War- the way he sees it, it's just a part of history. The lyrics of "A Few Words in Defense of Our Country" were recently printed in the New York Times as an op-ed piece and they deserve to be reprinted.

I’d like to say a few wordsIn defense of our countryWhose people aren’t bad nor are they meanNow the leaders we haveWhile they’re the worst that we’ve hadAre hardly the worst this poor world has seenLet’s turn history’s pages, shall we?

Take the Caesars for exampleWhy within the first few of themThey had split Gaul into three partsFed the Christians to the lionsAnd burned down the CityAnd one of ’emAppointed his own horse Consul of the EmpireThat’s like vice president or somethingThat’s not a very good example, is it?But wait, here’s one, the Spanish InquisitionThey put people in a terrible positionI don’t even like to think about itWell, sometimes I like to think about it

Just a few words in defense of our countryWhose time at the topCould be coming to an endNow we don’t want their loveAnd respect at this point is pretty much out of the questionBut in times like theseWe sure could use a friendHitler. Stalin.Men who need no introductionKing Leopold of Belgium. That’s right.Everyone thinks he’s so greatWell he owned The CongoHe tore it up tooHe took the diamonds, he took the goldHe took the silverKnow what he left them with?Malaria

A president once said,“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”Now it seems like we’re supposed to be afraidIt’s patriotic in fact and color codedAnd what are we supposed to be afraid of?Why, of being afraidThat’s what terror means, doesn’t it?That’s what it used to mean

The end of an empire is messy at bestAnd this empire is endingLike all the restLike the Spanish Armada adrift on the seaWe’re adrift in the land of the braveAnd the home of the freeGoodbye. Goodbye. Goodbye.

So, yes folks- Bush, Cheney and friends don't look so bad when you add it all up historically. But you do have to go back a few centuries to find them some company.